Exploring Youth Roles to Prevent Future Epidemics

Exploring Youth Roles to Prevent Future Epidemics
4th August, 2010


The WASH FORUM – an interaction programme launched by the ‘Paschim Paaila’ group was useful in sharing experiences and sensitizing youth to get involved in epidemics preparedness actions.
The last year’s Diarrhoea/Cholera Epidemic in Mid and Far-western parts of Nepal has been a great tragedy and should not be repeated this time. With the objectives to enhance the understanding of youth about Diarrhoea/Cholera epidemic scenario and present status in Nepal and to explore possible initiatives by youth to prevent future epidemics, a workshop on “Diarrhoea Epidemics of Nepal and Youth Initiatives Ahead” was organized in which more than 30 youth from different educational and professional background participated.
Birendra Man Shakya, from Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS), Makkhan Maharjan and Rajesh Adhikari from Environment and Public Health Organisation (ENPHO), Madhav Pahari from UNICEF Nepal shared their experiences on WASH emergency preparedness to sensitize youth and develop ideas for future endeavors to reduce diarrhea/cholera epidemics in Nepal.
The group work session on “initiatives of youths to prevent future epidemics” was facilitated by Rabin Bastola from WASH-RCNN and the WASH FORUM was coordinated by Phurba Sange Moktan.

(Source: http://www.nepal.watsan.net/page/686)

WASH preparedness in disaster management

WASH preparedness in disaster management

July 30, 2010

UNICEF organized third WASH Cluster meeting on July 29, 2010 at UNICEF Country Office to discuss on the progress on ongoing WASH preparedness intervention and identification of life saving intervention for Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Fund. Different WASH Cluster members including Oxfam, Save the Children, Nepal Red Cross Society and Department of Water Supply and Sewerage shared about the ongoing WASH preparedness intervention in their working areas.  

Sharing that Central Emergency Response Fund—a multi-donor trust fund comprising 119 donors—has allocated US $ 500,000 for life saving WASH intervention from the total US $ 2 million provided to Nepal, Madhav Pahari, Lead-Wash Cluster requested all WASH cluster members to identify best and appropriate option for life saving interventions for CERF funding.

Sharing that door-to-door campaign, community awareness on safe drinking water and sanitation and effective media mobilization are the best options to prevent occurrences of water-borne diseases in the urban areas, Anil Sthapit, Director, GUTHI told to give continuity to such campaign to prevent diarrhoeal diseases. He shared that similar campaign had helped to reduce diarrhoeal cases in the past. Similarly, Dr. Suman K. Shakya, Executive Director, Environment and Public Health Organization informed that ENPHO in association with UN-HABITAT formed Paschim Paaila immediately after the first outbreak of diarrhoea epidemic in Jajarkot, Rukum, Surkhet, and Dailekh districts and sent 63 volunteers to the epidemic-hit regions. He further told that it was the vigor and willingness in youths that made a rapid response to the outbreak possible. “So, we must prepare more of such youths for immediate response to such epidemic in the future,” said Shakya. He informed that ENPHO has now the capacity to produce 2500 units of Piyush, chorine solution, per day.

Sharing that there are more than 20 water kiosks in a short distance of 2.5 km from Naradevi to Swoyambhu in Kathmandu, Executive Director of NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation Prakash Amatya told that the urban population, mostly tenants, in the core areas are purchasing water from such informal water kiosks, who sell the water brought from private water tanker suppliers. “I think that there is need to carry out a quality survey of the water sold by such water vendors as this is the water the consumers are actually consuming,” said Amatya. “However, this survey is not intended to discourage such water vendors. This is just to get clear picture of the quality of water consumed by a large mass of urban poor and raise awareness on water quality and strategize the water treatment promotion at the household level,” he added. “We should seek support from the media and they can play a pivotal role to highlight the issue,” Amatya suggests.

(Source: ngoforum.net)

झाडापखालाको प्रकोप

झाडापखालाको प्रकोप
Editorial,
2nd July, 2010

हरेक वर्ष डुबानमा पर्ने नेपालगन्जका केही बस्तीहरू गणेशपुर, देवाफुल्बारी, घरबारी टोल, कोरियनपुर्बा, सल्यानीबाग र फुल्टेक्रा यसपटक डुबानमा मात्रै परेनन्, दूषित पानीका कारण यहाँ झाडापखालाको महामारी नै भित्रियो । दुई साताअघि आएको वर्षाले डुबानमा परेको बस्तीमा झाडापखालाले प्रकोपको रूप लिएको छ । झन्डै एक सातादेखि सुरु भएको झालापखाला अझै नियन्त्रणमा आउन सकेको छैन । बरु यस महामारीका कारण पाँच जनाको मृत्यु भइसकेको छ भने दर्जनौं बिरामी परेका छन् ।

नेपालगन्जस्थित भेरी अञ्चल अस्पताल र शिक्षण अस्पताल दुवैमा बिरामी खचाखच भरिएका छन् । दुवै अस्पतालमा एउटै बेडमा दुई तीन जनासम्म बिरामी राख्दा पनि नपुगेर बेन्च र भुइँमा सुताएर उपचार गर्नुपर्ने बाध्यात्मक अवस्था आएको छ । शनिबार मात्रै भेरी अञ्चल अस्पतालमा १ सय ३३ बिरामी भर्ना भए भने आइतबार बिहानैदेखि बिरामीको चाप बढेको छ ।

झाडापखाला दूषित पानीका कारण फैलिएको र उक्त पानीमा हैजाका कीटाणु हुन सक्ने अनुमान चिकित्सकहरूको छ । त्यसकारण सरकारका सम्बन्धित स्वास्थ्य सेवाका निकायहरूले यसलाई गम्भीरतापूर्वक लिनुपर्छ । हैजाको प्रकोपको पीडा कस्तो हुन्छ भन्ने हामीले यसअघि पनि बेहोरिसकेका छौं । पोहोरसाल झाडापखालाको महामारी फैलिएर मध्यपश्चिमका जिल्लाहरू जाजरकोट, रुकुममा दर्जनौं मानिसले अनाहकमा ज्यान गुमाउनुपरेको दृष्टान्त पुरानो भएको छैन । गाउँमा औषधि र स्वास्थ्यकर्मी नहुने र केन्द्रको राज्यले हैजा फैलिएको प्रारम्भिक दिनहरूमा नागरिकको स्वास्थ्यप्रति जिम्मेवारीबोध गर्न नसक्दा उक्त प्रकोपले भयावह रूप लिएको थियो । एक सालअघिको यो घटनालाई पाठका रूपमा लिँदै नेपालगन्जका यी बस्तीमा फैलिएको झाडापखालाको महामारी नियन्त्रण गर्नतिर केन्दि्रत हुनुपर्छ ।
नेपालगन्जको झाडापखाला प्रकोपमा सरकारले चासो देखाएको छ । नेपालगन्ज जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालयले घुम्ती स्वास्थ्यटोली खटाएको छ भने स्वास्थ्य विभाग महामारी नियन्त्रण महाशाखाले हैजा परीक्षणका लागि विशेषज्ञसहतिको टोली त्यहाँ पुगेको छ । यद्यपि यो चासो पर्याप्त होइन । क्षेत्रीयस्तरको अस्पतालमा अहिलेसम्म पनि हैजाका कीटाणु परीक्षण गर्ने प्रविधि नहुनुले हाम्रो स्वास्थ्य सेवा निकायमा साधनस्रोतको कतिको अभाव रहेछ भन्ने उजागर गर्छ । त्यस्तै नागरिकहरू बर्सेनि एकातिर डुबानको मारमा पर्न विवश छन् भने उनीहरूको न्यूनतम र आधारभूत आवश्यकता सफा खानेपानीको समेत व्यवस्था भएको पाइँदैन । यो अवस्थामा एकातिर नेपालगन्जका बस्तीहरूमा स्वच्छ वातावरण र खानेपानीको दीर्घकालीन प्रबन्ध गरिनुपर्छ भने अहिले तत्कालका लागि सरुवा रोगको रूपमा रहेको झाडापखाला अन्यत्र बस्तीमा फैलिन नपाओस् भनेर विशेष ध्यान पुर्‍याउनुपर्छ ।
बाढी/डुबानको समय भएकाले अन्यत्र जिल्लामा पनि झाडापखाला फैलिन सक्ने डर हुन्छ । त्यसकारण सरकारी स्वास्थ्य सेवा जोखिममा रहेका अन्य जिल्लामा प्रकोपले रूप नलिँदै विभिन्न जनचेतनामूलक कार्यक्रमसहित केन्दि्रत हुनुपर्छ । नेपालगन्जमा फैलिएको झाडापखालको प्रकोपबाट जनतालाई बचाउनु र यसको नियन्त्रणलाई अहिले मुख्य प्राथामिकतामा राखिनु जरुरी छ । यसका लागि आवश्यक स्रोधसाधनको प्रबन्ध गरिनुपर्छ र प्रकोपका समयमा मात्रै स्वास्थ्य सेवा, जनचेतनाका कार्यक्रम लगेर पुग्दैन, सरकारले जनताका आधारभूत आवश्यकताको सूचीमा पर्ने स्वास्थ्य, खानेपानी, सरसफाइको उचित र उपयुक्त प्रबन्ध नियमित गर्नुपर्छ । हरेक वर्ष सरकारी बजेटमा यी शीर्षकमा रकम विनियोजन गरिएको हुन्छ । त्यसको सदुपयोग गर्दै यस्ता महामारी फैलिनुपूर्व बस्तीहरूमा पुगी सरकारले नागरिकको स्वास्थ्य अधिकारलाई सुनिश्चित गर्न सक्नुपर्छ ।

Source: e-kantipur

नेपालगन्जमा झाडापखाला

जनक नेपाल
नेपालगन्ज, श्रावण १३ -
३ को मृत्यु / २०० बिरामी / ३० को स्थिति गम्भीर

नगरको डुबानग्रस्त बस्तीमा बुधबारदेखि फैलिएको झाडापखालाले प्रकोपको रूप लिएको छ । पखालाबाट दुई बालबालिकासहित तीन जनाको मृत्यु भएको छ भने ३० भन्दा बढी बिरामीको अवस्था गम्भीर रहेको छ । नेपालगन्जका अस्पतालहरूमा १ सय ३० जना भर्ना छन्् । उपचार गरी घर गएकाहरू समेत पुनः बिरामी परी अस्पताल आउन थालेका छन्् ।
नेपालगन्ज-५ स्थित सल्यानीबागका ५ वषर्ीया जस्मिन हल्वाई र वडा नं. ४ का तानिया हल्वाईको बिहीबार बिहान अस्पताल लैजाँदै गर्दा मृत्यु भएको हो भने दाङ तुलसीपुरकी ६५ वषर्ीया कलावती बुढाथोकीको बुधबार शिक्षण अस्पतालमा मृत्यु भएको थियो ।
मेडिकल कलेजको शिक्षण अस्पतालमा मात्र बिहीबार साँझसम्म १ सय ५८ बिरामी उपचारका लागि आएका छन्् । तीमध्ये ९० भन्दा धेरै बिरामीको अस्पतालमा उपचार जारी रहेको आकस्मिक कक्षका इन्चार्ज डा. मधु अर्यालले बताए । भेरी अञ्चल अस्पतालमा ५१ र नेपालगन्ज युनाइटेड अस्पतालमा दुई बिरामी भर्ना छन्् ।
भेरी र शिक्षण अस्पतालका आकस्मिक कक्षका वार्डहरू भरिभराउ छन्् । भेरीमा एउटै बेडमा दुई/तीन जनालाई राख्दा पनि नपुगेर बेन्चमा र भुइँमा सुताएर उपचार भइरहेको छ । बिरामी राख्न छुट्टै कोठा थपिएको छ । त्यस्तै शिक्षणमा ८ बेड थपिएको छ भने वार्डहरू भरिभराउ छन्् । भेरीमा १२ र शिक्षण अस्पतालमा २२ बेडका आकस्मिक वार्डहरू छन्् । मंगलबार रातिदेखि पखालाका बिरामी अस्पताल आउन थालेका थिए । बुधबारदेखि बिरामी अत्यधिक बढेको स्वास्थ्यकर्मीले बताए ।
'उपचारपछि घर फर्केका पनि पुनः बिरामी भएर अस्पताल आएका छन्,' डा. अर्यालले भने, 'हैजाको लक्षण देखिएकाले दिसा परीक्षण हँुदैछ, रिपोर्ट नआउँदासम्मका लागि एन्टिबायोटिक दिएका छौं ।' पखाला लागेको केही घन्टामै बिरामी बेहोस हुने र नाडी नचल्ने गरी सिकिस्त हुने गरेकाले हैजाको शंका गरिएको उनले बताए । स्वास्थ्य विभाग महामारी नियन्त्रण महाशाखाले हैजा परीक्षणका लागि शुक्रबार विशेषज्ञसहितको टोली पठाउने भएको छ ।
मध्य तथा सुदूरपश्चिमको सबैभन्दा ठूलो भेरी अञ्चल अस्पतालमा हैजा परीक्षणको सुविधा छैन । हैजा परीक्षणको सुविधा यहाँ नभएकैले प्याथोलोजिस्ट विशेषज्ञ टोली आउन लागेको भेरी अस्पताल प्रमुख डा. विमल ढकालले बताए । उनले भने, 'एकैपटक महामारी फैलिएकाले हैजाको आशंका गरिएको हो ।' निजीस्तरको नेपालगन्ज मेडिकल कलेजमा भने हैजा परीक्षणको सुविधा छ । झाडापखालाका बिरामीको दिसामा हैजा परीक्षण भइरहेको र पुष्टि हुन अझै दुई दिन लाग्ने डा. अर्यालले बताए ।
नगरका गणेशपुर, देवाफुल्बारी, घरबारी टोल, कोरियनपुर्वा, सल्यानीबाग र फुल्टेक्रामा झाडापखाला फैलिएको हो । ती बर्सेनि डुबानमा पर्ने क्षेत्र हुन्् । दुई साताअघिको वषर्ाले डुबानमा रहेका नेपालगन्जमा गर्मी बढेपछि एकाएक प्रकोप फैलिएको हो । डुबानग्रस्त बस्तीमा दूषित पानीका कारण झाडापखाला फैलिएको हुनसक्ने जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालयले जनाएको छ । नियन्त्रणका लागि जनस्वास्थ्यले स्वास्थ्यकर्मीहरूको घुम्ती टोली खटाएको छ । 'चिकित्सकसहितका चारवटा टोलीले बिहीबार दिनभर महामारीग्रस्त बस्तीमा पुगेर उपचार गर्‍यो,' जनस्वास्थ्य कार्यालयका रोग नियन्त्रण संयोजक रामबहादुर चन्दले भने । घुम्ती टोलीमा चिकित्सकसहित १३ जना छन्् ।

Source: e-kantipur.com

Diarrhoea, Typhoid patients on rise

MAHOTTARI,  July 21: 


Patients of diarrhoea, cold and typhoid has increased in remote northern areas of Mahottari district. 

According to Bardibas Hospital, many people of Gauribas, Maisthan, Khayarmara, Hattilet, Kisannagar and Bardibas VDCs are suffering from the diseases. 

Radhe Shyam Jha, senior health worker of the hospital, said at least 50 patients of the six VDCs has been coming for treatment every day since the first day of Shrawan. 

It is said that consumption of drinking water contaminated by incessant rainfall since five days, lack of cleanliness in villages as well as lack of mosquito nets has increased diarrhoea, cold and typhoid patients. 




(Source:http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=21277)

SANIHEALTH CONCERN

Perhaps in the next 30 years

Monday, 22 March 2010

Today I am very happy I am getting my turn to fetch water after a week But I am sad too, Because, someone stole away a bucketful of water from my house today I reported the incidence to the police, I don’t think that they will be able to trace the thief But, I will not leave this here Today my body feels light I got a change to take bath with 3 mugs of water after a week My heart is even lighter Because, my son had the opportunity to have a glass of water in his tiffin Some guest visited me with an excuse of drinking water But, I cleverly sent them away without giving them a drop of water to drink I am annoyed with the borrowers who borrow water but never pay back I owe twenty-five bucketful of water from my neighbors Today I have to go to Rani Pokhari (historic pond in Kathmandu) to watch a football match there Once, it used to be full of water but it’s hard to believe now Yesterday, an elderly showed me a dug well and said, “Son, there used to be a lot of water in this dug well.” Oh! I dreamt of collecting water from the same dug well throughout the night Nowadays, I am embarrassed with these fantasy dreams Let’s start from ourselves! Save Water! Save Life! (Source: http://www.ngoforum.net)

Lifeline: Kathmandu’s Stone Water Spouts

Wednesday, 05 May 2010

Across the Kathmandu valley one encounters stone water spouts beautifully carved in the form of water deities- a crocodile head representing the carrier of the Goddess Ganga, or a serpent head. The divinely engraved hitis also serve a more earthly purpose- a vital source of drinking water to the valley’s Parched populace. In the Lalipur sub-metropolis, for instance, the water demand of 43 million liters far outstrips the government water supply of 27 million liters, much of it made up be the stone spouts of the area.  The Alok Hiti Conservation and Drinking Water Committee then devised a simple scheme to conserve the historical stone spouts, boost water supply to their homes, and reclaim the community’s sense of pride. READ MORE and Watch!!!! http://downtoearth.org.in/dte_slideshow/nepal/nepal.ht (Source:  http://www.ngoforum.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8523&Itemid=1)

 

Indonesia, Jakarta: slums struggle with sanitation

May 7, 2010

In Jakarta’s northern Muara Angke coastal area, a lack of access to piped water has forced people to bathe and wash clothes using murky grey water from fish ponds.

“I don’t feel disgusted at all. I’ve gotten used to it,” Ibu Nunung, who shells mussels for a living, told IRIN outside her house in Muara Angke Blok Empang, a slum in the area.

Nunung said residents, many of whom live on less than US$2 a day, had to fork out the equivalent of up to $1 daily to buy clean water for drinking and cooking from vendors transporting water in jugs.

She admitted that itchy skin was a common problem among locals.

Jakarta, a city of 10 million people, is dotted with slums like the one in Muara Angke.

Many people live without running water in shanty towns built in the shadow of gleaming skyscrapers, and gutters are clogged with rubbish, causing foul smells.

“Poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water, overcrowding and poor nutrition are among [the] major problems in Jakarta, and the government’s commitment is needed to address these problems,” said Erlyn Sulistyaningsih, a project manager with Mercy Corps Indonesia.

Less than 50 percent of Jakarta’s residents have access to piped water, according to the NGO, which runs water, sanitation and health programmes in the city.

More than 75 percent of the city’s residents rely on shallow groundwater, but an official study found that 90 percent of shallow wells are contaminated with coliform bacteria or heavy metals, Mercy Corps said in a 2008 publication entitled Urban Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Jakarta produces 6,000 tons of waste each day, but can only manage 50 percent of it, it said.

Sulistyaningsih heads a project aimed at increasing access to sanitary facilities, including toilets, providing access to clean water, and educating child caregivers about nutrition in several villages in Jakarta and neighbouring Bekasi District.

“Our programme seeks to prevent diseases which are spread by the faeces-to-mouth route, and we hope it can be replicated by other communities,” she told IRIN.

Premature deaths

A study released by the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme in 2008 revealed that only 57 percent of Indonesian households had easy access to a private and safe place to urinate and defecate in 2004.

Poor sanitation, including poor hygiene, causes at least 120 million disease episodes and 50,000 premature deaths annually, the report said.

The study also found that poor sanitation costs the Indonesian economy $6.3 billion per year, or equal to 2.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Nugroho Tri Utomo, head of the subdirectorate of drinking water and waste water at the National Development Planning Agency, said part of the problem was a lack of funding, with spending on sanitation accounting for only 1 percent of the city’s budget.

“Both the general public and authorities have yet to realize the importance of sanitation, not only to health but also to the economy,” he said.

Improvement plans under way

The government last month launched a programme to provide access to adequate sanitation to 80 percent of urban households by 2014.

The Settlement Sanitation Development Programme, estimated to cost $5.5 billion, aims to develop waste water services in 226 cities, build sanitary landfills serving 240 urban areas, and stop inundations in strategic urban locations covering 22,500 hectares.

Under a separate programme called the National Strategy for Community-Based Total Sanitation, launched in 2008, the government aims to provide access to sanitation and introduce more effective water treatment methods in 10,000 villages by 2012.

See also:

• Mercy Corps Indonesia - Ibu Rumyati, Making Behavior Change Possible in Urban Slums
• Community-led Total Sanitation – Indonesia
• Portal Sanitasi Indonesia

(Source: IRIN, 16 Apr 2010)